Professional Learning Communities Lead to Professional Development

At a Glance

As a professional learning opportunity, Franklin County Career and Technology Center (FCCTC) staff created four professional learning communities (PLC) aligned with the four components of the Danielson Framework.

Overview

Using a four-year cycle that focuses on one topic a year, the PLCs are part of the Career and Technical Distinguished School Leaders (CTDSL) program. At the end of the cycle, the teacher participants will have covered all four topics: school improvement; student assessment, standards, and tasks; classroom/lab management, and curriculum development and instruction. The topics are taught using Danielson Framework Domains as the basis for discussion and incorporate Pennsylvania’s Standards Aligned System (SAS). The framework domains, grounded in a constructivist view of instruction, are divided into 22 components that fit into four categories: planning and preparation; classroom environment; instruction, and professional responsibilities. The SAS subjects covered include safe and supportive schools, materials and resources, assessment, standards, instruction and curriculum framework.

Origin / Implementation

The program started in fall 2016 and was developed in conjunction with James Daniel & Associates and CTDSL to provide effective, affordable professional development. It is scheduled to continue in the 2017-2018 school year.

Results / Impact

An important outcome of the PLCs is that participating teachers move on to design and lead professional development presentations for their peers. In this way, the school is developing on-staff topic experts who are prepared to provide professional development.

The professional development sessions also have promoted teamwork, trust, pride, and delegation skills among the staff.